Glossary  

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) — is a scientifically validated approach to understanding behavior and how it is affected by the environment. ABA is driven by the strategy for increasing useful behaviors and reducing those that cause harm or interfere with learning so as to bring a positive change in an individual’s behavior.

Autism Spectrum Disorder — is a complex disorder of brain development. This disorder is characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)— is credential given by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board. The purpose of the credential is to provide some minimum standard for what constitutes being qualified to practice behavior analysis. All BCBAs must pass educational, experience and exam requirements in order to hold the credential.

Developmental Disability — is a diverse group of severe chronic conditions that are due to mental and/or physical impairments. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, especially in “language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living”.^[1] Developmental disabilities can be detected early on, and do persist throughout an individual’s lifespan.

Fading — the systematic, gradual removal of artificial or intrusive prompts, or discriminative stimuli (such as directions), imitative prompts, physical guidance, and other cues. Fading is used to foster independence from supplemental prompts, and/or to shift control over to the stimuli designated to evoke the response.

Prompting–the procedure of providing antecedents that evoke a behavior. Prompts can be physical, verbal, gestural and be either naturally occurring or contrived. Prompting is used to evoke a response for the purposes of coming into contact with the reinforcer.

Reinforcement — the procedure of providing a consequence for a behavior that increase or maintain the frequency of that behavior. Reinforcement comes in many forms and what serves as a reinforcer is unique to the individual and, therefore, an important part to the success of any ABA program.

Shaping — the  use of differential reinforcement on a series of successive approximations to a target behavior. Shaping is used to change the response a little at a time while coming into contact with the reinforcer until the desired response criteria is met over time.

 

 

We offer ABA services to the areas of Knoxville, Farragut, Maryville, Oak Ridge, Crossville, Lenoir City, Loudon, and Kingston.